Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 26: A school teacher has been arrested by the Ullal police on charges of sexually harassing minor boys for the past two years.

The accused, Dolphy Sequeira (33), a resident of Chembugudde, is a teacher at Nithyadhar English Medium School. He was teaching English and social science to students of 6th, 7th and 8th standards.

It is alleged that he used to take students to the project room in the school which does not have a CCTV and sexually assault them.

On Wednesday November 25, he took another boy to the room and despite his protests, Dolphy allegedly sexually assaulted the 12-year-old boy.

The boy then narrated the incident to his parents, who called up the parents of another boy of the same school, who had also reportedly been a victim of the teacher, and it was then that the entire matter came to light.

Based on a complaint filed by the parents of the two boys, the Ullal police arrested Dolphy on Wednesday.

It is also alleged that Dolphy used to take students to his house on the pretext of giving them tuitions and sexually assault them.

He has been sexually assaulting minor boys for the past two years, but the students did not inform their parents out of fear, it is said.

Dolphy has been booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012.

Ullal police have registered a case.

Meanwhile, the school management said that immediate action was taken after the parents of the two boys complained to the management committee. "An emergency meeting was called by the school management and it was decided to form a four-member committee comprising teachers and parents to investigate the matter thoroughly. Also, the accused teacher has been suspended from the school pending enquiry," said Fr Elias D'Souza, convenor of Nithyadhar English Medium School in a statement to the media.